HI/O Show: The return of St. Patrick … and much more

Chris Nilan and Patrick Roy, who was back in Montreal Tuesday night as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, were teammates on the 1986 Canadiens team that won the Stanley Cup, and Nilan shares some stories about Roy as a teammate during this week’s HI/O Show, along with Gazette columnist Dave Stubbs and sports editor/host Stu Cowan.

Nilan also talks about another former teammate, Mario Tremblay, and why he likes him so much. Canadiens fans know all about the bad realationship between Tremblay as a coach and Roy, which led to the goaltender being traded from the Canadiens to the Avalanche in 1995. But the panel talks about the two being back on speaking terms now and also about what Vincent Damphousse did that upset Roy on the day the goaltender played his final game with the Habs.

Well this is a big concern…..I thought this guys shoulders were finally fixed in the off season. Man that sucks……but the 4th line is very serviceable with white sliding in and if need be violent gentleman Georgy. The boys should still be fine!

Whitey’s been good this season, so at least we got that depth to roll with these kind of injuries.
As for Prust, well he should take all the time he can to heal, and hope to be back ok for the playoffs.

Also this is why they get days off, they always get injured at practice!

Hi Ronn. Absolutely. Look how far we have come. Two years ago we would have played Weber or Aaron Pulushai (sp sorry). We finally have depth, as you have correctly pointed out. Bournival looked great last night in Hamilton on the first line with Thomas and Andrighetto. Somebody is on the hot seat because I think he is going to get another look and once he gets in, he is hard to take out.

Tampa Bay just jumped into our 2nd place spot last night. We play them once more in the sunny south on April fools day!

Tonight Columbus, another team who is nipping at our heels in the standings, plays at the Bell Center.

Things are very tight in the standings, where a point or two knocks you down to the bottom. Loser points are so huge in this league now. Sure hope they change that nonsense somehow. Like 3 points to win and 1 to tie might be fairer and produce better hockey for the consumer!

This year sure has been a roller coaster ride, from the depths of despair and frustration to the exuberance and thrills of comeback wins. We just might be a little more focused and peaking at the right time of year.
I just wonder if I should try and find a good corner in Mtl. to get ready for a parade in June.

I laughed at that one.
It was obvious he was trying to draw a penalty.
The opposing player barely rubbed his mask, and it took Bishop a few seconds to react.
“Hey….. maybe I can draw a penalty. I will slowly lower myself into the prone position. Hey ref, don’t you see me lying here?”

No I got that one….but it seemed from the second period on, he just didn’t look right. Slow to get up off the ice, slow reacting, moving gingerly etc. He just looked gassed to me! If something is wrong with him, that would be a huge blow to their postseason aspirations.

Can MT get that defensive zone system play out of his book. You know the one where both defenseman leave the front of the net to go after the same player and try to get the puck, which leaves the front of the net wide open for opposing players to have a field day in front of price. I think protecting the crease and the slot is more important…..FRANKIE! as well as most habs in the defensive zone. Remember now OT win please!

Killhorn probably is a nice guy. He probably did not intend to injure Ranger. However, he smoked a guy into the boards who was in a vulnerable position. It was, without doubt, worthy of a 5 minute major and most likely further discipline.

That no Leaf jumped him does not excuse his action, or in any way validate it. In fact, that is how any illegal play should be reacted to by the players. The league now needs to step in and ‘police’ this. It is because the players have been allowed to ‘police’ themselves that we find the game filled with dangerous hits, inconsistent refs, inconsistent discipline and 4 minute players whose primary contribution to the game of hockey happens only when play has been stopped.

As for the Bear Hug: It’s not a revolutionary idea. In fact, I’d argue that players already do it without penalty. Watch how many times the puck carrier is pressed into the boards by the defending player.

The problem with the Killhorn hit, is that he did nothing other than try to smoke Ranger. He very easily could have coasted in and pinned him against boards and I doubt that the refs would have called him for holding, unless he actually ended up tackling Ranger. And in that case, he would have received a 2 minute minor. Instead he decided to charge/board Ranger at full speed and administer a powerful check and received a 5 minute major, a misconduct, an ejection and his target was carried from the ice on a stretcher.

This had nothing to do with needing to allow interference or be allowed to bear hug a guy. It was a bad choice by Killhorn. None of this has to do with Ranger. He is allowed to turn. Killhorn is not allowed to drive him into the boards.

He did not “charge at Ranger full speed”….he was chasing Ranger at full speed who was going to go around the net..until he realized he was being outskated and caught. He tried to reverse and got hit. IF Killorn slowed down…then Ranger just continues on skating untouched around the net and Killorn is now caught behind the goal.
That was a great forecehck by Killorn gone wrong. I would still suspend him 1 game just because you cannot have players further expanding the line but Killorn is really no more guilty than Ranger IMO. You see other incidents where it happens slower or the turn is sooner,etc….that one was not malicious IMO.

Killorn is allowed to drive him into the boards…not from behind…that is the issue. Killorn did not know it would be from behind IMO. Ranger tried to avoid the foreceheck and instead put himself in danger…no different than a player trying to duck a hit and then getting hit in the head , or a player jumping to get out of the way and leaving their knee exposed.

It is a no win for Killorn and a no win for Ranger. IF Ranger continues he gets overtaken, or hit and loses the puck in a dangerous spot without defensive zone coverage in place. He could chip into the corner (not sure where the second forechecker was).
If Killorn slows up he is caught deep and Ranger skates around the net, if Killorn skates by him…he is benched for an obvious “flyby”. Killorn was in the midst of a textbook forecheck.

I see some pointing to different rules about boarding,etc…what is “violent”? IF Rnager does not turn that is an average bodycheck. IF Ranger were unsuspecting? maybe you have a different story…but Ranger turns and looks at him….Killorn at that point should be absolved of any blindsiding,etc…that look should have told him that Ranger was not going to turn.

I have seen minor hockey coaches who tell their kids to turn to protect he puck….IMO this is awful but I see someone brought up the basketball, football,etc things. In basketball and football there are no boards. We do not see these incidents happening out in open ice…those are called blindsides and Ranger clearly sees Killorn coming. When play is slow in the corners in scrambles,etc there is a lot more time for smarter decision making by both parties…in a situation like this one at such a high speed it is not like any other sport or situation. At that speed and with a clear look at the pressure Ranger gambled…..Killorn pursued hard. I would still give him a game just to be consistent with the games direction..but without any intent at all IMO..that is it and I would not be surprised if he gets nothing to be honest.

That kind of hit should be illegal whether Ranger turned or not. Hockey has been allowing violent checks into the boards for several decades now when it is clearly against the rules. “Violently” is the wording used in the rulebook not mine so it is open to interpretation, which is how hockey got in this mess.

Now I agree Killorn had no choice to make that hit with how the rules are currently called, but in a perfect world, Killorn follows him around the net and squeezes him out on the boards with a hit, or he has to match Rangers reversal and stay with the forecheck. It should not be a legal play to collide with the opponent at high speed, especially against the boards. Changing this would make hockey so much safer.

It was illegal….he got a major and a game…it is just not malicious and suspensionable. I have two kids in minor hockey and both are smaller…I would love to seethem do away with those types of plays. I still say that the boards themselves need addressing…I am not sure what the purpose of hard boards is anyway.

Making the boards more flexible is a great idea. They should be like a WWE wrestling mat. It would be great for the fans too with the noise they would make.

What I mean by illegal hit is that players are allowed to fly in on the forecheck at top speed and hit without slowing down. Happens every game at every level. It just doesn’t result in injury everytime. But we shouldn’t wait for injury to know something’s unsafe.

As for your boys, I’m sure you teach them to play and skate with their head up, avoid vulnerable positions and learn how to take a hit properly. If they do that they’ll be fine. The best players rarely get hit hard, they’re too aware.

Perhaps I am missing something about Frankie’s game that is not translating on television. Maybe it’s his play away from the puck and the leadership inside the room. He seems capable in the offensive zone, however I continue to hold reservations regarding his defensive zone coverge.

Fast is, team is winning right now, despite what I think. Yes, I believe that there are some major cracks below the surface, but perhaps this coat of paint is strong enough to cover them up.

Well, enough from the peanut gallery. Here’s to hoping the boys pick up where they left off and continue to build confidence heading into a two game set with Toronto and Boston. Of course, we best not get caught looking ahead as the Blue Jackets are in a desperate way and will want to take the two points.

In closing, and on a complete aside, I wanted to echo all the well wishes and positive comments yesterday regarding Tim Bozon. I hope the young man continues to progress. It is very likely to be a long process, but I am hoping that he is able to enjoy a quality life. As silly as it might sound, I believe all the positivity echoed throughouth the hockey community helped pull him through.

That’s a fair point Jim. I don’t know that there is anyone in Montreal who could match PK’s skating and compliment his skill set the way Beaulieu could. Frankie is a warrior and has the heart of a lion, but we are getting burned far too often with him on the ice. I think PK’s game goes to the next level if he has a complimentary partner like Beaulieu. Just my two cents….

I don’t see it that way, CJ.
Perhaps I haven’t been watching closely enough, but I don’t see terrible lapses of coverage by Frankie in our zone.

And I don’t really think that Beaulieu would be a good pairing for PK; they are too similar. I think it’s best to have a more offensively-minded d-man paired with a stay-at-home type; that way they actually complement each other rather than provide the same thing.

Fair dues. I enjoy the opportunity to debate the issue, so it’s nice to have a differing opinion. I also agree that in some instances it helps to have a completely different type of player who can provide support. For example, a Keith and Seabrook, or Karlsson and Methot. That said, I have found the Emelin Markov pairing to have struggled for long stretches this season and they are ying and yang.

I think Beaulieu with Markov is the best option. I like Gorges with PK (when healthy) and I would like to see Tinordi and Weaver. Emelin and Bouillion would compete with Weaver and Tinordi for the 5/6 role.

The Cube left his coverage in front of the net 3 times to double team behind the net resulting in 3 goals last game. I like the guy but like Murray ,he shouldnt be playing that many games and minutes. The guy was a healthy scratch for 9 games comes in and plays those minutes?

Good morning Burly. Good post. I am certainly guilty of going to this well once to many times. I went there with Budaj when he was struggling, than with Vanek while he was misplaced with Gionta and Pleks and now I have hammered on Frankie in hopes that Beaulieu will get a chance. Even I am getting sick of typing the same posts.

I do have every confidence in Dudley and Bergevin’s long term plan. Admittedly, the short term decisions are sometimes interesting, as noted above, but it gives us something to talk about.

As I said yesterday, I don’t think this team can win with the existing lineup, yet they continue to prove me wrong. I don’t think we can win without a big first line centre, nor do I think we can win without a better defence. It is difficult to reconcile these feelings in the face of the fact that we have won three in a row.
I am hoping that it becomes four tonight!

Forward lines are a work in progress. It really stinks that Bourque can’t seem to step up and become that legit second line power forward that we do desperately need. He has all the tools, but lacks the will.

Your point is valid Matty. Looking closer however, it is difficult not to draw the same conclusion regarding Frankie’s play – which is to say that he is a liability. He is capable in the offensive zone, but he is really struggling defensively. I watched while the Av’s enjoyed extended zone time in the Montreal end and he looked a step slow. In this game, you lose a step and you have lost a mile.

I don’t get it either. Again, I do appreciate that there is a lot that goes into these decisions, much of which is behind the scenes. That said, IMO, the most important thing is winning. At the end of the day, Bouillion, on the top pairing, does not give us the best chance to win.

Martin St.Louis has yet to score for the Rangers — he had one credited and then taken away last night — and only has 3 assists in 8 games since the trade.It’s a far cry from the 62 points he had with the Lightning, and I’m sure it’s a far cry from what GM Glen Sather and the Ranger fans wanted to see up until this point.

I watched St.Louis play last night here in Ottawa and he looked lost, a deer in the headlights. So to echo what the reporters are asking , “what is wrong with Martin St.Louis?” I chuckle at the so-called experts coming up with their excuses:

* “It’s the system. He has not adapted to the Rangers system yet.” That is bullcrap! He has played under many different systems in his long NHL career, including ones similar to New York’s. Besides, isn’t his adaptability to any system supposed to be one of his strengths?

* “It’s his new role, new teammates, new linemates. He has not got used to them yet.” Again, bullcrap! I can buy that excuse for the first game or two with a new team. With each passing game, that excuse wears thinner and thinner. If St. Louis is the caliber of player we think he is, that should not a factor by this point.

* “It is moving away from Tampa, an organization that he has been with his for virtually his whole career, and his adjustment of being without his family.” Day after the running of the bulls in Pamplona amount of crap on this one. He DEMANDED the trade and wanted out of Tampa. To turn around and make excuses that he is struggling by not being around the familiar environment is a joke.

Do you want the truth? A star player like St.Louis doesn’t need systems. He just competes and find a way to be “the guy”. A player the caliber of St.Louis does not adjust to their new linemates beyond the first game or two; they adjust to him. Lastly, St. Louis had to be be fully mentally prepared to go elsewhere or he wouldn’t have asked for the trade in the first place.

I don’t personally know St. Louis, nor do I know anyone who knows him more than casually. So what I am about to say is just my opinion.

He had his “I didn’t get picked for the Olympic team on the first selection! I want a trade!” snit. Well, get over it, a lot of other deserving players didn’t get picked, either. And to STILL be pouting over it even after he was eventually picked and his team won the gold medal?

What kind of message is that to send to your team that you are captain of or any kid that plays sports. It is the wrong message. Pretty much everyone I respect within today’s game agrees that Steve Yzerman won the trade – getting a great team LEADER who can also score plus several top draft picks in return for St. Louis.

I mentioned that he looked lost in the game last night, almost disinterested in the game, almost unsure of himself – reports are that he is already uncomfortable with the media. Perhaps, Martin is second guessing his decision, deep down he realizes he was wrong?

His request and reason for asking for the trade where not perceived well in the general public, especially up here in Canada.

Before this all went down, my opinion of St. Louis was that he he was a great story of the little guy who got overlooked and went to become a superstar. I get that those guys may feel forever driven to prove their doubters wrong. But that was long since proven and all that Martin St. Louis looks like now is a selfish individual player who puts himself above his team. Is that what he wants to be?

lets hope for an OT win for the habs. That way we get the 2 points and columbus inches closer to toronto.
Also I think it would be cool for the blue jackets to make the playoffs. They are a pretty fun team to watch

You know, sometimes the TV was left on in the background, after the noon news, and all of a sudden I look up and there’s a winsome lass preparing roast beef, all smiley and stuff. That was good watching.

Front, that was a stupid fool in here in Calgary. As I remember it, he fell and give himself a nasty bump on the head, but the swelling occurred in his lower extremities when he hit the ice. Good thing he had that sock on!

Doesn’t it kind of make you wonder if New Jersey though knew all along that the penalty was going to be reduced? I see what you are saying, but a year or two ago the Devils probably don’t think they will be this bad this year. Therefore didn’t want to give up a 1st round pick, period.

Would they have had to make that decision on the pick two years ago prior to losing Parise?

Too early to know
Could be anywhere between 5th and 13th…..and maybe GMLL figured all along he would get his rightful pick back.
You also have to believe he felt his team would not finish as low as they will this year….kind of like, but not nearly as bad, as Burke in the Kessel deal

They probably didn’t figure they would finish this low because they thought until the middle of the summer that they’d still have Kovalchuk. It was well after free agency began that Kovalchuk announced he was going to the KHL, leaving the Devils scrambling to find offence among the remaining free agents.

A whole whack of shows being cancelled by CBC- Cracked , Arctic Air, cooking shows Best Recipes Ever and In the Kitchen with Stefano Faita, The Ron James Show and Stroumboulopoulos Tonight.
Probably due to the loss of revenue-generator HNIC
____________________________________________________
“It’s just an opinion- I could be wrong”

A not for profit public broadcaster is a good thing. It should provide an alternative to all the private crap that’s out there. (My taste in tv programs is different than most. I don’t watch pseudo-reality like Survivor, American Crapol-er- Idol, excepting Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank).
Mercer’s show is necessary in these days of silent and secret government and 22 Minutes keeps us up to date on the Crackhead Toronto mayor.
Without HNIC, that “bloated” budget will shrink a lot, and Harper will be happy about it.

I don’t know if this has been brought up on these pages, but righthanded d-man Chris Tanev of the Canucks, who was babying a hand injury, has now been shut down for the rest of the season. So Kevin Bieksa moves up to the first pairing, Jason Garrison moves up to the second pairing, and our ol’ friend Yannick Weber is now a regular on the third pairing.

I didn’t get to watch the game last night, but looking at the game stats, the Top 4 (Edler, Bieksa, Hamhuis and Garrison) all played more than twenty minutes, while Yannick and beginning of the season waiver-wire acquisition Ryan Stanton both played less than 15 minutes.

With Raphaël Diaz traded away to the Rangers, and no help coming from the minors for the Canucks, here is Yannick’s best chance to show he belongs in the NHL. He’ll get a regular-ish shift, and powerplay time. If he can contribute, he can earn a contract, if not with the Canucks, somewhere else. I don’t think he’ll get another chance if he flubs this though.

———————————————————————–My sources are unreliable, but their info is fascinating.–Woody Paige

Hear hear. While his disastrous coaching reign leaves a bitter taste, I’ll always remember Mario Tremblay as the fearless kid who on a line with Doug Risebrough and Yvon Lambert took on all comers and were a rugged third line that contributed goals. Mario could play at the Boston Garden, at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, and while some other Canadiens were more subdued (Murray Wilson, Gaston Gingras), he never gave an inch, and played his best when the stakes were highest. And who could forget his performances against the Nordiques.

So yeah, appointing him coach while his only recent experience was being a talking head on CKAC (who ever thought that would work?) was a horrible decision, but the ultimate responsibility rests with Ronald Corey on that one. Mario as a player can play on my team anytime.

I cant offer any counter arguments really… based on the episode that anguish is too firmly seated in your heart and mind to be dispelled.

Allow me to tell you mine. Remember when the HABS wore their iconic red sweater on the road. I will never forget getting ready for a game against the Bruins or Flyers or even Leafs and reading with disgust and growing anger and yes a little fear… all about how the BIG BAD BRUTES from these team would pound our boys to a pulp in the corners. And if you lived in Toronto, that message came with a little bit of the stereotyping ‘soft french players’.

And always.. always.. Mario Tremblay was one of those players who walked into their fffffing rinks and looked them in their fffing faces.. and kicked the smug sh*tness outta them.. both on the scoreboard and in the corners.

You’ll never get an argument form me on the player that he was.
I remember him feeding Lambert for an overtime winner in the playoffs.
But he should have stayed away from coaching, and I’d probably still love the guy.

Looking at Ben Bishop last night I noticed that besides being really big, he is on his knees in the butterfly position an awful lot. He sure does take up a lot of space and makes some great saves like that. Also he lumbers when getting back to his feet like it’s difficult for him to do.
You can’t be both a Habs and a Leafs fan

This is a great day.
A Habs game which should generate another 2 points for our guys.

But more importantly, as a handcuffed Canadian living in Quebec, it’s truly sweet to see the polls trashing poor old Marois (no, I didn’t say “maria”… that dark place on the moon, although I’d love to see her marooned there.

Killhorn is a real Pro, Jim. He’s a very bright young man, very well brought up, and he plays with respect. He played here for the Midget AAA Lions. If he was posting on this board, he would be agreeing with everyone who wants to take dangerous hits out of the game. This is why no one on the Leafs freaked out. They saw who it was and they knew Killhorn.

That’s why I’m convinced there was no intent to injure on this play. Is he perfect? No one is. He made a mistake and I’m sure he feels very badly about it.

That being said even players like Pacioretty get suspended for making bad decisions, so if Killhorn received 1 game it would not shock me.

Even the leaf broadcasters Joe Bowen and Jim Ralph (who like any home team announcers can be bias) both immediately discussed how the hit didn’t at all appear intentional or malicious. It is however, a play happening far too often.

As others pointed out down below, perhaps Burke’s idea of the bear-hug indeed needs to be tried.

With less interference between the blueline and endline, the forwards are coming in faster, with goalies unable to play the puck in the corners, the defencemen become sitting ducks.

The NHL wanted to speed up the game when these rules were instituted (or in the case of interference, applied) and the result is more high speed collisions in the corners.

That is the question I suppose, however, if the option of these bear hugs is permitted and the forechecker chooses not to do so and a hit like that occurs, then the defence of “not intentional” and the defender turned into it, become mute and a heavy suspension follows.

There is a really simple way to accomplish this without resorting to holding under another name. Simply make it so that a puck carrier cannot be hit in the back. No way no-how, no exceptions. Give the puck carrier the advantage that, when he shields the puck with his body, the ‘checker’ has to go around to the front to strip the puck or bodycheck him.

While this may be revolutionary for us hockey fans, who don’t tolerate change very well, and I know some of our more pithy contributors will hurl epithets and bruised fruit, and harrumph that I should watch tennis instead, this isn’t that ground-breaking, aside from the fact that we’ve been conditioned to accept that someone’s back is the area that a defender has to crosscheck repeatedly.

In basketball, the ball carrier can turn his back to the defender, who can’t ‘reach’ in to grab the ball. In football, when a would-be tackler is trying to get at the ball carrier, a blocker can’t hit him in the back. In both these cases, the rules allow for, and players understand, that the player in front has the advantage. If you want to block someone from the front or side, fill your boots, but if he’s got a step on you and you’re behind, well you better run like hell to catch up. If a player is dribbling the ball with his back to you, trying to set up a play, you stand your ground, but you can’t grab his jersey, hook his arm, slash his legs, etc.

So when a player has the puck near the boards, we’d do away with this notion that he suddenly “put himself in a vulnerable position”. There wouldn’t be the imputation that he was reckless, or a bit of a cheater by doing so. Instead, he would have sought the advantage that the rules clearly confer on him, and the defender would have known this was coming and would know not to drive him into the boards, since he would know that would be a penalty. Instead of the discussion being that the checker had committed to his hit and couldn’t abort mission, and the puck carrier kind of was the author of his own misery, we’d now have a situation where a checker has to be light on his feet, ready for the puck carrier to cut and change direction, or protect the puck away from him.

This will accomplish many things. First, the game will be much safer, it will reduce contact and bodychecking, the mucking and grinding along the boards, and reduce the likelihood of catastrophic injury. Run of the mill shoulder, elbow or hand injuries should be reduced with the incidence of contact.

Second, the game will be more exciting. Pavel Datsyuk or Henrik Sedin with the puck on his stick is the reason I watch hockey, not to see Brad Stuart smother them along the boards.

Third, scoring will go up, and it will allow for prettier goals. There will be more stickhandling and tic-tac-toe passing that currently is being bludgeoned and cycled out of the game.

‘The numbers’ really need to be that ‘STOP’ sign that minor hockey jerseys have on the back. We need to do away with the Chris Pronger crosschecks to the back of puck carrier, or the slashes to the arm, hip, legs, hands, etc. Let’s give the teams that want to play with the puck the ability to do so, in a safer arena.

Phil, don’t get me wrong, it will definitely encourage turning, but the defensive player will definitely expect it. Unless he’s there simultaneously with the puck, he’ll need to hold back, knowing the puck handler has a step on him and can turn to protect the puck. That’s the whole point. No longer will defenders barrel into another player, with the onus being on the player with the puck to not turn at the last minute, but to take his punishment like a man.

So let’s say the Dallas Stars are division and conference champs one year, and the Canucks finish 8th. That matchup would be a disadvantage to the Stars, they now have to travel all the way to Vancouver and back for that series. What if the Blues come in second and have to face Nashville, with limited travel. Wouldn’t you want to come in second and save yourself the travel, instead of coming in first?

This is what I haven’t understood about the new system. Sure it helps for the regular season, but with the playoffs and the Wildcard, in some situations you’re penalizing the #1 seed, forcing them to travel far more than the second, which get to stay in their division.

We can discount the ‘rigors’ of travel all we want, and yeah I know these guys are traveling in class, but in my example, the Stars’ coach would probably agree with me that he’d rather face Nashville. All the studies that the Canucks have done with regards to time zone changes, jet lag, and jet travel, are all conclusive that more travel reduces performance.

@UCe, such is the disposition of all teams who weren’t fortunate enough to be Original Six per se. Sucks for Vancouver, but they are where they are, and that is their issue. As an organization, they joined a league where at the time, most all other teams were across the continent from them. It may be unfair, but it is what it is.

HiB, again, I’m not saying that the West isn’t structurally at a disadvantage due to travel, that’s understood. My point is that the new system, which was supposed to resolve travel issues, makes it so that potentially, the conference champion may have to travel out of its division in the first round of the playoffs, whereas the team that came in #2 in the division is assured of better travel. So being conference champ may be a disadvantage.

It may seem like nothing, but will we see situations in the future where a team ‘tanks’ to not win the conference and have to face a #8 matchup they don’t like? Does L.A. ‘rest’ Jonathan Quick the last four games of the season to let Anaheim pass them, so they don’t have to fly to Winnipeg? Do the Ducks retaliate with tender hamstrings on Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf?

Ozmo, Ronn, I understand that the West has challenges due to geography and travel, that’s why I used that conference as an example. Your points that travel in the West is difficult do not address my point that the #1 seed potentially is at a disadvantage compared to the #2, which is assured to remain in its division.

Question in regards to a PK and his contract if a team offered him a 7 year deal at 8 and we had to match that offer could we give him an 8 year deal for less money per season, but more over time or does it have to match the deal.

Not being a Brian Burke fan, yet he did have a good idea .
He called it the “Bear Hug” and it is a type of holding, yet he recommended it in this specific type of situation.

In other words, and if last night is used as an example, a player would be allowed to wrap his arms around the one he is about to hit ( for 1 second or 2) to almost protect and soften the blow.

It was tried in 2011 , but never adopted.

His words were almost prophetic:

“It has become a tactic,” Burke continued. “Forwards are turning their numbers to the defenceman, betting he isn’t going to finish his check to take a boarding penalty. They’re taking a risk, especially when the defenceman is committed to the hit.

“When the forward makes a hard pivot right into the track of the defenceman, he can’t do anything else but finish it. When he does, that player is propelled like a billiard ball and all that force goes into the wall.

“What I’m saying is, let the defenceman put his hand on his numbers, take him in, still finish the play, recover the puck, but not have a potentially catastrophic injury.”

The issue is with the impossibility of managing and allowing an existing infraction. You are allowing holding. I am for it if there is no other solution…..but it was a cornerstone of clutch and grab hockey and the dead puck era. Dmen would just wrap guys up and not let them go. Also youa re allowing a big guy like Murrray or Chara to wrap up a smaller guy (who may have got away) and then ride them into the boards with all of their force. Also think of situations where a player falls onto another player…they stay ont hem for 5 seconds and basically interfere or hold but get away with it…how do you manage that type of thing…they will all be “tangled” and just hold palyers forever int he corner.

Human error will happen no matter what so why not control what can be controlled? that is the stationary object everyone is being run into…that can be managed and altered to its safest possible end and should be an automatic IMO. The other rules, changes or adaptations or possibilities are great theories and may very well come to fruition…but ultimately I see no reason why the simplest and first step is being outright ignored. They changed the stanchions but glass varies from arena to arena…and IMO the boards are too high.

And another player is making his first return to the city where he played most of his career this week. Rick Nash returns to Columbus for the first time this Friday. Interesting he comments on how he hopes Columbus makes the playoffs…. would be something if Columbus made the playoffs and the Rangers didn’t.

A good read on Zach Parise, he speaks very well of his time in New Jersey and provides some insights on how Lou runs the Devils. Perhaps part of the reason that team is competitive most seasons regardless of the talent on the roster.

Also of interest, Parise reveals that Philly offered Parise a bigger contract than the Wild and he turned it down.

Re the “hit” on Ranger…no bad intentions there and fault is equally shared. I know some think it wrong to pass on any fault to the guy receiving the hit but he clearly saw him and made the quick move back. Killorn has to not let him by, Ranger when he turns gets lower…that is nearly impossible to do anything about. That being said I would still give him one game just to keep players aware that may happen.
On the other hand though…maybe it is time to stop leaving all of the onus on the hitting player….maybe they make a rule that you cannot possess the puck while directly facing the glass? Better yet you cannot abruptly reverse in that situation? sounds bizarre and extreme but these hits keep happening even when not malicious…maybe have another coloured line in the offensive zones about 3 feet out and you can only go in sideways? There is no real safe solution unless you either remove hitting completely against he boards or take another measure. I completely disagree that it was a “dirty hit”…it was an unfortunate hit and yes you can see he has to be aware…but so does Ranger.

On another note…could they not angle the damn glass on a slight incline and set the glass back to help as well….maybe have the boards themselves be lower as well so less head hits would have the impact so direct? I am no physicist and know nothing of phsyio but I bet someone on here does know…WOuld it reduce injuries if you lowered the boards 8-12 inches and set the glass back a bit more at an angle? Sure you may get an advers affect and possibly other injuries ….but those ones would not be as risky as the potential paralyzers IMO.

I think there is nothing wrong with the rules as they are written, they are just not enforced properly. Players are currently allowed to accelerate to great speeds, then collide with their opponent, however this should always be charging or boarding if the rules were interpreted as I think they should be. When hitting against the boards you should only be able to hit them as they try to get by you or in a non-violent manner, putting the onus on the hitter to slow down before intiating contact.

In the Ranger case with both players accelerating towards the boards, a hit should not be an option. Killlorn should either play the puck or slow down and take Ranger into the boards in a less violent manner ( pin him to prevent him from getting by). However in the NHL, if he does that he will be unemployed very quickly, so he has to make that play as the rules are enforced.

The bearhug rule suggestion is similar to what I’m saying. It would allow the defender to pin their opponent without colliding with him. This would also require the defender (person without the puck) to slow down before initiating contact, which is what I’m saying needs to happen. Slowing down is the part that would make it safe, so I don’t like the idea of legalizing holding in certain situations.

However, fans and the NHL love the big collisions so it would be tough to go back now. But contact hockey is unsafe as a sport as long as players are allowed to collide at high speeds. I would never let my kids play contact hockey.

In a few years if this lineup doesn’t have Gionta and Briere, there might be room for a very talented but diminutive player. Granted we most likely will still have DD and Gallagher….. hate to trade away the talent which he seems to have, but also will be tough to find a spot for him.

Reway showed very well last year at the Habs Training Camp, and Marc Bergevin came away impressed with his play at the WJC. Recall what Trevor Timmins said about him at the Draft, “he is our home run pick.” Reway has the potential to be a Mats Naslund type of player for Montreal.

I for one really hope the Leafs make the playoffs. There has never been a better chance for the Habs and Leafs to meet in the postseason in recent history. That would simply be a great hockey series to watch. Then the Bruins in the second round…perfect. I really like what the NHL has done with the playoff format, remembering the good ole days when we’d always play Boston, HArtford, Quebec City, Buffalo in the playoffs. Really don’t want to see Tampa v. Montreal, though it’s looking more and more likely.

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“Crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentations of the women.”

Sadly I don’t share your enthusiasm. I hate the leafs and do not want to face them in a playoff series period. The best scenario is that the leafs keep losing and miss the playoffs entirely. Now that makes for great news!

It’s not bad, yet still slightly unfair.
I can see the 2 Division winners playing #7-8, yet most likely the number 3 and 4 in the Conference will meet in Round 1.
It would be better if the Conference was ranked after the Division winners, and have 3 play 6…and 4 play 5.

Then again, maybe it was set up like that to avoid potential huge travel in the early rounds for the western conference teams.

I usually agonize re any Leaf matchup. Simply cause I know I wont be able to turn on TV/Radio if they win. But today I am raging confident for the HABS and say ‘bring it on’…. of course tomorrow that could change.

Leaf fans were saying the same last week. Just saying, ship can happen.

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“Fans are entitled to express their opinion, but most of the comments on talk radio and on The Gazette’s Hockey Inside/Out website ranged from the mildly uninformed to the outrageously stupid” – Pat Hickey.

Fair enough, but the Habs aren’t the Leafs.
I’d argue we’re a deeper team, and although we haven’t been great defensively, we’re still MUCH better than the Leafs. Throw in Carey Price and I think it’s safe to say our bigger concern is home ice advantage.

Of course, a loss to the Leafs on Saturday could change that. Just trying to keep the optimism alive

The coaching carousel has really spun in Ottawa the past while, don’t think Melnyk wants to spend anymore money on past coaches while paying for new ones. I think Maclean gets at least one more year, regardless of making playoffs or not.

I agree Burly. Considering he’s one year removed from a Jack Adams award I sincerely doubt he’s going anywhere.

Ottawa’s troubles have more to do with “leadership” and goaltending imo. Losing Alfie really changed the atmosphere and dynamic in the organization and dressing room respectively. Couple that with the fact that they had Andersson putting up unsustainable numbers (last year), and you can understand why they took a step back this year.

“Overpaid bum, sit his butt, put him on the fourth line, trade him, start over again, fire the coach, the coach has lost the room, no heart, not going anywhere, start over again”……comments from Leaf fans. Sound familiar??

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“Fans are entitled to express their opinion, but most of the comments on talk radio and on The Gazette’s Hockey Inside/Out website ranged from the mildly uninformed to the outrageously stupid” – Pat Hickey.

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“Fans are entitled to express their opinion, but most of the comments on talk radio and on The Gazette’s Hockey Inside/Out website ranged from the mildly uninformed to the outrageously stupid” – Pat Hickey.